Uncoupling device and method

ABSTRACT

A removal device for a security tag attached to an article, including an identification of the security tag, offered for sale in a commercial establishment; where the removal device can be connected to a processor device configured, in turn, to supply an activation signal from the removal device, once the payment transaction has been completed, in order to remove the security tag in the event that there is a positive match between the security tag read by an identification reading device and a machine-readable identification tag read by a device for reading machine-readable identification tags prior to the completion of the sales transaction.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to a device and a method for removing a security tag attached to an article or product after the completion of a sales transaction.

STATE OF THE ART

Within the state of the art, there exists a removal system for hard EAS security tags, consisting of identification of the RFID radio-frequency type, after the sale of the article, in order to prevent the security systems from being activated when the customer leaves the commercial establishment where the product has been purchased.

The system comprises an RFID reader located at a point of sale (POS), adapted to read the identification of the RFID tag in order to identify the article that the customer wants to purchase; a removal device connected to a database, the functioning of which is controlled by the database, in such a way that the removal device is only activated to remove the hard EAS tag if it is a saleable item.

However, the removal system does not include any type of verification or correlation between the product's barcode and the hard EAS security tag attached to the product itself.

SUMMARY

This invention seeks to resolve one or more of the disadvantages mentioned above by using a removal device for a security tag attached to an article offered for sale in a commercial establishment.

One advantage is providing a security tag removal device based on an association between an identification tag that can be read by machine and a security tag, with both tags attached to an article included in the inventory of articles offered for sale in the commercial establishment; where the security tag can be removed from the article after the sale is completed and the correlation between the security tag to be removed and the identification tag has been verified; if there is a match, an activation signal is generated from the removal device and, lastly, the correlating security tag exclusively attached to the article sold in the completed sales transaction is physically removed.

Another advantage is providing a sales procedure that includes the reading of the machine-readable identification tag associated with a saleable product, completion of the sale thereof, storage of the identification of the readable identification tag read, reading of the identification of a security tag attached to the sold product, verification of the correlation between the stored readable identification tag and the read security tag after the completion of the sales transaction.

Yet another advantage is providing a payment system for an article included in a commercial establishment's inventory and removing the security tag after the completion of a self-service sale by the customer his or herself.

This procedure for removing security tags attached to items allows for an operation with self-service points of sale, with excellent anti-theft security and a subsequent reduction in security costs.

A further advantage is supplying a point of sale (POS) that includes a device for reading machine-readable identification tags of the linear barcode type, a matrix of codes including several rows and columns of codes, identification by RFID, identification by NFC; a device for reading RFID identification codes included in a security tag of the EAS security tag type; an EAS tag-removal device and an identification reader of the RFID type, NFC short-range communication for said security tags, a processor that can be connected to the tag reader device and to the code reader, where the processor is adapted to verify the correlation between a security tag associated with a verification tag, both of which are attached to a single article, after the completion of a sales transaction; a security tag remover adapted for removing a security tag in the event that the result of the verification stage is positive; and a payment device.

Yet another advantage is that the procedure avoids the possibility of replacing a legitimate identification tag attached to a product with an illegitimate or erroneous one applicable to an article with a different price, avoiding the need for direct control or control using cameras by the establishment's personnel and, furthermore, that a security tag that has been removed matches an article that has been paid for previously.

One more advantage of the procedure is that it makes it possible to reuse the security tags after the sales transaction has been completed by attaching the same tag to a new product, with said security tag associated with the identification tag which is also attached to this product.

The term security tag is defined as an anti-theft device, generally for commercial establishments, comprised of a hard security tag including identification of the RFID or NFC type, attached to an article, included in an inventory, offered for sale in a commercial establishment. The article is protected with the application of said security tag, which acts as an alarm detected by security antenna located at the exit of the commercial establishment and EAS security elements to prevent theft.

The hard security tags are designed so that in order to remove them from an object, a removal device is required.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

A point of sale of a commercial establishment comprises a device for reading identification tags that can be read by a machine of the scanner type, an RFID identification reader; a code-reading device of the RFID radio-frequency identification type, short-range NFC communication, included in a security tag of the EAS security tag type; a processing device that can be connected to the tag reading device and the code reading device; a security tag removal device adapted to remove security tags; and a device for manual and/or automatic payment in cash and/or by credit and/or debit card and/or by other payment methods, of the portable, tablet, cell phone, etc. type.

The identification tags that are readable by machine may be for example, a linear barcode, a matrix of codes including numerous rows and columns of codes, an RFID radio-frequency identification tag, etc. Each article has at least one readable identification tag attached to it at its origin or in the establishment itself, and may be read by a reading device adapted for executing the reading of the type of identification tag attached to it, for example a barcode can be read by a scanner.

Furthermore each article also has a security tag attached to it, comprising an RFID radio-frequency identification circuit, so that both tags match, where each pair of tags formed can be stored in a mass storage device of the database type.

Conducting an affirmative sales transaction at a point of sale (POS) entails reading the identification tag for the article using the corresponding reading device to identify the type of product and its price; then the purchase is made with payment on the payment device, completing the sales transaction.

The device for reading identification tags can be connected to a processor device that, in turn, can be connected to the database, so that when an identification tag is read by the identification tag reading device, an electric signal corresponding to the read identification tag is sent to the processor, and in response to the signal received, the processor recovers the identification information of the security tag associated with the identification tag read from the database.

Once the sales transaction has been completed, the security tag is brought close to the RFID radio-frequency identification code reading device in order to proceed to read the identification of the security tag of a sold article.

If the identification reader executes a positive reading of the security tag, the reader is configured to transmit an electric signal corresponding to the identification of the read security tag to the processor, and in response to the signal it received, the processor verifies the correlation between the identification of the read security tag and the identification of the security tag it retrieves from the database, corresponding to one of the identification tags read previously, prior to the completion of the sales transaction.

In a scenario where there is a positive match between the identification retrieved and the identification read from the security tag, the processor supplies an activation signal to a release device so that only the security tag attached to the article sold, and no others, is released.

Nevertheless, in a scenario where there is not a positive match between the identification retrieved and the identification read, the processor will not send an activation signal to the removal device, and so the security tag attached to the article and read by the RFID identification reader cannot be removed. The point of sale (POS) includes a warning device adapted to emit a warning signal to the establishment's personnel with lights, sounds, etc.

It should be noted that a security tag may be attached to an article before it arrives at the commercial establishment and/or once the article is located inside the commercial establishment itself. In this latter scenario, the security tags may be re-used and must be associated with the identification tag corresponding to the article to which the re-used security tag is attached each time and, furthermore, the new association or pair formed by the tags must be entered into the database.

In a scenario where the payment for articles sold in a commercial establishment is collected at a self-service point of sale, the use of the procedure for removing a security tag with an RFID code that matches an identification code associated with an identification tag attached to an article included in a previously-completed sales transaction prevents the possibility of customers being able to remove a security tag from an article for which the identification tag has not been read, and therefore which has not been paid for. Moreover, it also prevents identification tags from being switched between products with different prices.

Likewise, in a scenario where the machine-readable identification tags and the identification codes have the same type of identification by radio-frequency, the machine-readable identification tags and the identification code reading device may be the same.

Likewise, it also prevents errors by the establishment's personnel who perform payment tasks, such as charging for an item and removing the security tag attached to an item that has not been invoiced.

The procedure of removing a security tag can be performed by a computer, loadable into an internal memory of a computer with input and output units, as well as processor units.

For this purpose, the computer program includes codes that are configured for executing the steps of the aforementioned process when executed by the computer. Furthermore, the executable codes can be saved in a readable transfer medium in a computer. 

1. A removal device for a security tag attached to an article, including a machine-readable identification tag, offered for sale in a commercial establishment; characterized in that the removal device can be connected to a processor device configured, in turn, to supply an activation signal from the removal device, once the sales transaction has been completed, in order to remove a security tag in the event that there is a positive match between a security tag read by an identification code reading device and an identification retrieved by the processor device, corresponding to the identification of a machine-readable identification tag read by a device for reading machine-readable identification tags prior to the completion of the sales transaction.
 2. Device according to claim 1; where the type of device for reading machine-readable identification tags is of the scanner, RFID identification reader, NFC identification reader type.
 3. Device according to claim 2; where the type of device for reading machine-readable identification tags is a linear barcode, a matrix of codes including several rows and columns of codes, identification by RFID, short-range NFC communication.
 4. Device according to claim 1; where the device tor reading identification NFC communication.
 5. Device according to claim 1; where the article including the machine-readable identification tag can only be matched with a security tag, and where each pair that is formed can be stored in a mass memory storage device.
 6. Device according to claim 5; where the processor device retrieves the security tag associated with the machine-readable identifiable tag read by the identification tag reading device from the mass storage memory.
 7. A point of sale where a sales transaction for a saleable article can be completed in a commercial establishment; where the point of sale of a commercial establishment comprises a device for reading machine-readable identification tags, an identification code reading device, a processing device that can be connected to the tag reading device and the code reading device; a security tag removal device adapted to remove security tags; and a device for manual and/or automatic payment in cash and/or by credit and/or debit card and/or by other payment methods, of the portable, tablet, cell phone, etc. type; where the removal device can be connected to a processor device configured, in turn, to supply an activation signal from use removal device, once the sales transaction has been completed, in order to remove a security tag in the event that there is a positive match between a security tag read by an identification code reading device and an identification retrieved by the processor device, corresponding to the identification of a machine-readable identification tag read by a device for reading machine-readable identification tags prior to the completion of the sales transaction.
 8. Point of sale according to claim 7; where the point of sale can be operated in self-service format by a customer of the commercial establishment.
 9. Point of sale according to claim 7; where the point of sale includes an alarm adapted to emit a warning signal to the personnel of the establishment, indicating the absence of a positive match between the identification retrieved and the one read; with the processor being prevented from sending the release device activation signal.
 10. Point of sale according to claim 7; where the alarm is adapted to emit a light, sound, etc. warning signal.
 11. A method for removing a security tag attached to an article including a machine-readable identification tag, offered for sale in a commercial establishment; characterised in that the method comprises the stages of: Removing a security tag using a removal device in response to the receipt by said removal device of an activation signal supplied by a processor device, once a sales transaction has been completed, and in the ease of a positive match between an identification of the security tag read by an identification reader device and an identification retrieved by the processor device, corresponding to a security tag associated with the machine-readable identification tag read by a machine-readable identification tag reading device prior to the completion of the sales transaction.
 12. Method according to claim 11; where the method also comprises an exclusive matching stage for the machine-readable identification tag and the identification of a security tag, with each unique pair able to be stored in a mass memory storage device.
 13. Method according to claim 12; where the method also comprises a stage in which a warning signal is emitted in the event of a lack of correlation between the identification of the security tag read by the identification reading device and the identification retrieved by the processor device, corresponding to the security tag associated with the machine-readable identification tag read prior to the completion of the sales transaction.
 14. Method according to claim 13; where the method also comprises a stage in which an activation signal is not emitted in the event of a lack of correlation between the identification of the security tag read by the identification reading device and the identification retrieved by the processor device.
 15. A computer program that can be loaded into the internal memory of a computer with input and output of the units and a processing unit, when the program comprises executable codes configured to perform the steps necessary according to claim 12 when executed in the computer.
 16. The computer program from claim 15; recordable in a format that can be read in a computer. 